The 2024/2025 season marked a transformative chapter in UEFA’s European Club Competitions, with the introduction of a new league format replacing the traditional group stage. This evolution brought with it more matches, tighter schedules, and increased logistical complexity for clubs competing across the continent.
Summary
- Amaze and Destination Sport Travel supported clubs at 165+ UEFA Club Competition fixtures – an increase of over 50% from the previous season.
- Services included end-to-end travel management for teams, staff, directors, and VIP groups.
- SportsBreaks and Sportsworld also delivered supporter travel and VIP travel experiences for fans and corporate clients.
- In total, Destination Sport Group’s divisions supported 20+ clubs across 40+ European cities.
- Destination Sport Group were actively involved in almost a third of all major UEFA European Club Competition fixtures, including all four finals.
Destination Sport Group proved to be a critical partner for 20+ elite football clubs competing in UEFA’s European competitions, delivering world-class travel and logistics solutions through its specialist travel and destination management divisions as well as unforgettable fan experiences via its supporter travel and hospitality divisions.
This case study explores how Destination Sport Group played a part in over 165 UEFA Club Competition fixtures, managing travel across Europe for teams, staff, VIP groups and fans.
Adapting to a New UEFA Format
The shift to a league format resulted in an additional 105 fixtures across all UEFA Club Competitions in the 2024/2025 season, increasing travel demands and cutting turnaround times between matches.
The role of a travel management company became more critical than ever. Clubs needed seamless, efficient travel logistics to maximise preparation and recovery time – something Destination Sport Group’s elite travel and destination management divisions, Amaze and Destination Sport Travel, have a unique understanding of.
Together, Amaze and Destination Sport Travel provide comprehensive, end-to-end travel, accommodation and logistical solutions for many of Europe’s most prestigious football clubs. During the 2024/2025 season, the two divisions supported 166 UEFA Club Competition fixtures, marking a record-breaking year and a 51% increase compared to the previous season.
Managing Director at Amaze, Ralf Staeheli, commented,
“This season, across Amaze and Destination Sport Travel, we supported clients in more than 20 countries and 40 cities, ensuring every detail was meticulously planned and executed. Our pan-European team worked tirelessly to deliver seamless experiences for teams, staff and VIP parties including directors, sponsors and corporate guests.
“Our services go beyond the typical travel and accommodation bookings. We become an extension of our clients, accompanying them throughout their stay so we can ensure their specific needs are met at all times.”
“In destination, we utilise the expertise and linguistic skills of our local staff to provide peace-of-mind and ensure proactive support including specialist services such as sourcing specialist equipment and facilities for teams, and arranging pre-match dinners and functions.”
A Final Frenzy: Supporting the Biggest Matches
Destination Sport Group’s involvement in 165+ matches meant that the group played a role in almost a third of all major UEFA Club Competition fixtures throughout the season, including all four finals:
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Europa League
- UEFA Conference League
- UEFA Women’s Champions League
With just 10 days separating the finals, which were played in Spain, Portugal, Germany and Poland, it was a logistical challenge to ensure each event was managed efficiently.
Managing Director at Amaze, Ralf Staeheli, commented,
“We had dedicated staff on the ground at each final, ensuring every element –from teams and VIPs to the coordination of supporter day trips – ran flawlessly. Our European expertise meant we had unique knowledge of each host city and spent considerable time preparing our operations on location before clients began to arrive. It was a proud moment for our team to once again play a part in some of the biggest nights in European football.”
Fan Travel: Bringing Supporters to the Heart of the Action
It was an incredible season for supporters of English teams in Europe, with three clubs reaching their respective finals and two of them lifting silverware. This culminated in a clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Man United in the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao.
As well as managing travel on behalf of elite clubs, Destination Sport Group also delivered unforgettable experiences for fans and corporate clients through its SportsBreaks and Sportsworld divisions. The supporter experiences and VIP travel divisions of Destination Sport Group offered a wide range of experiences, from group stage matches to the finals.
Experiences included:
- Ticket and hotel packages
- Official away supporter travel programmes
- VIP travel experiences including private charters and exclusive events
Managing Director at Sportsworld, Nathan Wilson, reflected on the group’s involvement in the UEFA Europa League Final.
“Across Sportsworld and SportsBreaks we were proud to be officially appointed by Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to create bespoke travel and experience programmes for key club stakeholders, VIPs and supporters to the 2025 UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao.
“This included delivering complex private flight charter programmes and logistics from Southend (Spurs) and Manchester (Manchester United) to multiple airports in the Bilbao region.
“We worked closely with both clubs and UEFA to deliver unforgettable experiences across multiple hotels and function venues in Santander and Bilbao, managing the challenges of an exceptionally short turnaround.”
Conclusion
The 2024/2025 UEFA Club Competitions season was a landmark year for Destination Sport Group. With a record number of fixtures supported, expanded services across Europe, and involvement in every major final, the group solidified its position as the go-to travel partner for elite football.
As the landscape of European football continues to evolve, Destination Sport Group remains committed to delivering world-class travel solutions on a global scale.
